Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

SPLASH!

The waterfall continued to flow. It plummeted three thousand feet, resembling the Milky Way falling from the Nine Heavens, completely unaffected by external forces. However, the pool beneath the waterfall was now stained red with blood.

Within the Haoran Sect, bodies were strewn everywhere amid rivers of blood. From Sect Leader Lu Yuan down to the ordinary disciples, all were slain. Not a single soul survived. Even Sword Master Tao Ming and his two companions could not escape death.

The mountain breeze carried with it the pungent stench of blood, causing the thousands of followers outside the Haoran Sect to turn pale and retch.

Dead! All of them dead! The vast Haoran Sect had actually been wiped out today. Had they not seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed such a thing could happen.

GULP!

Someone swallowed, the sound unnaturally clear in the deathly silence it broke.

”HISS! What am I seeing? The Haoran Sect was actually massacred! There isn’t a single survivor! How is this possible?!”

”The Nineteenth Prince actually broke the Spring Autumn Sacred Formation! He used the power of its collapse to kill Sword Master Tao Ming and the others, and even caused three thousand disciples to suffer a backlash. This is unbelievable!”

”When did the Nineteenth Prince become so strong? This is outrageous! How on earth did he cultivate?”

The crowd was in an uproar, shocked beyond measure. Before the battle, everyone had believed that Su Han was doomed to lose and would have to flee in disgrace, but the scene before them was a harsh slap in the face. What a humiliation!

Meanwhile, Li Mingliang and Li Qingyue, who were inside the Haoran Sect, were ecstatic. They had actually done it—they had successfully annihilated the Haoran Sect. This was a top-tier, second-rate power, not something an ordinary vassal force could compare to. Destroying the Haoran Sect would not only shatter the Second Prince’s prestige but also yield a great deal of spoils of war. Li Mingliang felt as if he were dreaming, while the admiration in Li Qingyue’s heart grew even stronger.

”I’ll count to three. Anyone who lingers will be killed without mercy!” At that moment, Su Han’s arrogant voice rang out, his words directed at the thousand followers outside the Haoran Sect.

”Quick, run!”

Before Su Han could even begin his count, the expressions of the followers changed drastically. They turned and fled without a second glance. They were terrified, shocked by Su Han’s formidable power and decisive, merciless slaughter. He dared to annihilate the entire Haoran Sect; naturally, no one doubted his threat. In the blink of an eye, the thousand followers had all fled.

However, the news of the Haoran Sect’s destruction would spread rapidly with their departure. Su Han didn’t care about this; after all, this was all part of a blatant Yang Plot.

SWISH!

Su Han sheathed his sword and descended from midair. He reached out, grabbed Lu Yuan’s corpse, and stored it in the Bronze Ring. Although Lu Yuan had met an unfortunate end, he still possessed the Flowing Cloud Holy Body. With the Swordsmanship Conference fast approaching, Su Han had to seize every opportunity to increase his strength. His choice to make an example of the Haoran Sect was partly due to the Flowing Cloud Holy Body.

”You two clean up the battlefield. I am going into seclusion.”

Su Han entrusted the aftermath to Li Mingliang and Li Qingyue, then headed toward the main hall. He intended to begin the Refinement of the Flowing Cloud Holy Body to increase his power and become even stronger.

「The Haoran Sect was destroyed!」

The news spread like a devastating typhoon, instantly sweeping across Mingzhou before continuing to other Daozhous with the speed of lightning. In an instant, countless people were once again shocked by Su Han.

Although the Haoran Sect couldn’t compare to the three great holy lands, it was still one of the top second-rate forces with a significant reputation in Mingzhou. Furthermore, it had an incredibly close relationship with the Second Prince. Yet such a mighty sect was slaughtered, with not a single survivor left. The event was truly staggering.

”The Nineteenth Prince is so ruthless. He brings death wherever he goes. From Nanyang City to the Haoran Sect, he must have killed at least eighty, if not a hundred, renowned experts with that sword of his.”

”The Haoran Sect had a close relationship with the Second Prince, yet the Nineteenth Prince still annihilated them so ruthlessly. It seems their conflict is irreconcilable. I’m sure they’ll clash at the Swordsmanship Conference.”

”The struggle between princes is always perilous, and the allure of the Swordsmanship Conference only adds fuel to the fire. It’s hard to say who will come out on top!”

The crowd buzzed with discussion, now utterly convinced that the incident in Nanyang City was connected to the Second Prince. Otherwise, the Nineteenth Prince would never have done something as drastic as exterminating an entire sect. Now that the Haoran Sect was destroyed, the other vassal forces within Mingzhou were trembling in fear, terrified of becoming the next target.

At this time, the Second Prince also received the news.

BANG!

The palace trembled and then collapsed with a thunderous roar. Countless tomes were torn to shreds. A violent aura erupted from within, and in an instant, the entire palace complex was razed to the ground, reduced to a field of rubble.

A figure walked out from the ruins. It was the Second Prince. He was still dressed in spotless white robes. His elegant demeanor was captivating, making him seem less like a high-status prince and more like a refined scholar. However, the dark gloom in his eyes and the furious lines etched on his forehead revealed he was not nearly as composed as he appeared. Many maids and servants had been in the palace courtyard, but none had emerged alive. The implication was obvious.

”Your Highness, have you finished venting?” An old man with white hair and a long beard, dressed in a robe with wide sleeves, appeared before the Second Prince. He stood stroking his beard and asked in a soft voice.

This old man exuded an air of profound knowledge, like a true great Confucian scholar. However, those who knew him understood this was merely a facade. Once, this old man had single-handedly destroyed a nation, his slaughter painting the very sky blood-red. His fearsome reputation was enough to silence the cries of infants.

This elder was the Second Prince’s Protector: Lin Qin Saint. The Crane Sword Saint was merely at the First Layer of the Saint Realm, while Lin Qin Saint was at the Fourth Layer—a clear testament to the importance placed upon the Second Prince.

”Unless I kill my nineteenth brother, I will know no peace!” The Second Prince gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with terrifying murderous intent.

Both of his schemes had failed. The Bai Xu Saint and the Iron Grinding Saint had been two of his most crucial pieces, but they were now dead because of the Nineteenth Prince. With the Haoran Sect also destroyed, this sense of failure fueled a raging fire in his heart that could not be extinguished. Destroying the palace had done almost nothing to vent his rage. Only killing the Nineteenth Prince with his own hands would bring him relief.

The struggle between princes was cruel, but fratricide was forbidden. His Imperial Father would never allow it. Thus, despite his seething rage, he had no choice but to suppress it for now.

”Your Highness, shall we proceed to the Imperial Capital or to the Haoran Sect?” Lin Qin Saint asked.

”The Haoran Sect is already destroyed; going there now is pointless. We will head straight to the Imperial Capital and wait for him. At the Swordsmanship Conference, I will cut him down with my own hands!”

Su Han had shattered the Second Prince’s carefully cultivated composure. His heart could no longer remain calm. A single, crazed thought now dominated his mind: to publicly execute his nineteenth brother at the Swordsmanship Conference!

Nineteenth Brother, you will die by my hand!